Episkopi

House of the Gladiators in Episkopi, Cyprus

Kourion's ruins are full of mosaics: mythological scenes, geometric patterns, hunting parties. But tucked near the main courtyard of one villa is something the rest of the island almost never shows: gladiators, fighting, identified by name. According to Cyprus's own Department of Antiquities, gladiatorial combat is a rare subject for mosaic art anywhere on the island, which is what gives this o…